Google Universal Analytics: 'Customer Centric' Data
Written by Kathryn Galland
Read this Article in the June Edition of Business Review Australia.
It is the age of data analysis and businesses that don’t get with the program are left behind. At least, that is the sentiment in the digital business community.
Web analytics has improved our understanding of customer behaviour with the ability to track how visitors navigate through information online. It has come a long way from tracking page views. In fact, it’s rapidly evolving to track how customers interact with brands not only across digital platforms but also in physical interactions, such as a purchase made in store.
In March, Google released Universal Analytics into public beta, a “new generation” of the company’s analytics platform. It’s a stream of “customer-centric” technologies that enable businesses to track visitor engagement across multi-screen devices and incorporate offline data from customer relationship management (CRM) and point-of-sale systems.
Universal Analytics is about capturing both online and offline interactions in one place for easier analysis.
How does Universal Analytics work?
An enticing new feature for businesses is the capability to upload offline data and integrate it with any existing business systems. Australian businesses should note that this involves technical know-how to implement. Yes, it’s possible to import data collected offline via RFID readers or point-of-sale systems, but it must be formatted according to the new Measurement Protocol.
The Measurement Protocol that Google uses is a different javascript library, meaning that Universal Analytics is not yet compatible with all the standard features of Google Analytics. For the time being, or until customers can migrate from Google Analytics to Universal Analytics, Melbourne-based Damion Brown, Principal Consultant at Data Runs Deep, suggests running Universal Analytics “in tandem” to any existing accounts.
Another significant change to the standard Google Analytics is the ability to track customers, not with cookies, but with an anonymous client ID that is tied to the individual rather than the web session. This allows businesses to see multiple interactions from the same individual if the user is signed in. It works best if registration is required to access the website.
Using a unique universal tracking ID is a better solution, according to Brown. “Today, with so many devices and interactions between audience and brand, relying on cookies is simply too messy,” Brown says. “The new igeneration of Google Analytics is based on acknowledging this fact—you can't reliably track through a spaghetti of cookies.”
Businesses may wonder if Universal Analytics changes or breaches customer privacy in any way. It does not. Google’s privacy policy does not permit businesses to track personally identifiable information. The use of an anonymous identifier allows businesses to see the pattern of behaviour without seeing a customer’s identity in the platform.
What does this mean for businesses?
With the right knowledge and creativity, businesses can find ways to track footfall in a store or send transaction data into Universal Analytics as explained by web analytics expert Julien Coquet.
A webcam placed at the front of a store can track people walking in and send this data into Universal Analytics for analysis against other marketing campaign initiatives. And it’s possible to measure offline conversions as well by sending transaction data from point-of-sale systems.
Businesses can likewise integrate loyalty card program or, perhaps, call centre systems data to see a more complete picture of the customer journey. For example, with call tracking integration businesses can see which regions convert the most business, as demonstrated in a Universal Analytics demo by Ifbyphone.
Online, the tracking possibilities are also greater. By tracking customers with universal client IDs, it becomes easier to analyse a customer’s behaviour from one multi-screen device to another, over multiple sessions and with several instances of the browser.
Additionally, businesses can import cost data into Universal Analytics for richer data segmentation as well as more accurate return on investment (ROI) analysis across marketing channels.
How will changes to web analytics affect businesses?
Right now web analysts and businesses are experimenting with the new possibilities, though it’s clear that web analytics is expanding to include more marketing touchpoints with a focus on maintaining customers.
Through multi-session analysis and better integration of offline and online data, it will be easier for businesses to understand the behaviour of repeat buyers and compare customer interactions across web, mobile and offline platforms. Thus, businesses will more effectively tailor the look and feel of their messaging and adjust budget accordingly.
Successful businesses will tap into the ability to customise dimensions and metrics in Universal Analytics to suit their particular needs. They might start by uploading sales data and creating customer incentives for creating an account login.
Universal Analytics promises to change the face of digital analytics. Now it’s time for Australian businesses to get creative in their use of the technology and for early adopters to lead the way.
About the Author
Kathryn Galland is a business and technology writer with an interest in all things digital. She works in communication in Sydney.